Alena Kostornaia

[Lzbee]

This two week quarantine OR two negative tests is how my place of work manages return to work criteria for employees who have tested positive and the only transmission we've had between employees was for field testing where the customer showed up unannounced and got everyone sick. For context, I work at a VERY large company, more than 12k people alone in my city/site. So to have no reports of transmission inside the facility is fairly significant. I don't question that this is good policy. I think it is because the WHO and CDC have all but proven asymptomatic transmission is nearly impossible, and that if there is not enough viral load in the body to test positive, there is definitely not enough to transmit to others. So this makes sense. No need to prolong your downtime if you are not actually contagious.

On the other hand, I wonder if it is not just because of the Grand Prix event, but also other factors. Working with Karisma no doubt put her around a bunch of people. Though, I will say letting ANYONE from TeamTut into the Grand Prix event so close after Zhenya getting it (and *unconfirmed* but also Anna) was probably quite reckless as well. Alina, Kamila, Daniil... all of them had to have had contact with Zhenya and Anna.

Or perhaps it is only that she tested positive and is not ill. Elon Musk tested positive on a sample taken from one nostril and negative on a sample taken from another. The PCR test was recently banned for use as a diagnostic in a country (Ecuador?? The name is evading me as I type this) and has a notably high false positive rate. Most diagnostic tools require they be run a certain number of cycles to "amplify" the virus, so for covid, it is around 30. Any higher and the test will start giving back a significant number of false positives. The UK medical staff have been advised to run them in the 40's. This makes no sense, the tool is being misused. So many factors to consider when we talk about what Aliona testing positive actually means.

It is also possible it is strategic, no? Say she has tested positive to give an excuse for her absence and use the four-five days to really train where she would be unable to? That's really quite a significant amount of time. She did podium at the Rostelcom which was essentially a Russian Cup event, and had top Russian Cup competitors, so I imagine they'll accept the result there as if it were a Cup qualifier. Though, if they do that, they may have to accept the results for other athletes, which may skew some rankings? I've not been keeping up with the points.

If she is in fact sick, though, it would be horrible news, and I hope that it is simply one of the scenarios above. What a rough season for her. ):

I really want Alena to show up to nationals better than ever but I don't think they can lie about the covid test result. It would be a huge scandal if it ever came out and I don't want any more hate for her.

I think the best case scenario we can hope for is that she actually tested positive a week or two ago and has been asymptomatic enough to do off ice training at home.

 

[patee]

Tuktamysheva, Kostornaia, Guliakova - Press Conference - Rostelecom Cup 2020 (with English subtitles)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdDHKf0JdNc

 

[elbkup]

Just want to offer my best to Aliona for a quick complete recovery .. it would mean everything to those of us who love her to see her back, spirits high, enjoying to the full what she does best!
Despite recent competitions keeping us focused we miss her!!

 

[Scott512]

Anyone else concerned with so many sick recently with coronavirus or pneumonia lady skaters and pairs skaters for Russia are going to the Russian Nationals in a couple weeks in an atea where it could be 50 degrees below zero? My question to the medical people here is it safe going to this super cold place coming off pneumonia or Coronavirus? I really would wish they would back up Russian Nationals two or three weeks so more people can fully recover.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

I am glad she may come back after two negative testings. I'm sure it was a true positive (though the more cycles you do with the sample, the more false positive you have) because she has lost her sense of smell, two days before the announcement. "Only" 2/3 of those who lose smell and/or taste have CoViD (while 90% of those who have CoViD do lose smell and/or taste, which is a rather low rate of false negative, a test free, efficient and which one can do everyday) but if she tested positive I think the probability is very high that she is indeed infected. I hope she has no other symptom at all, and she loads herself with vitamins C, D3, K2 and Zinc, and she takes hydorxychloroquine and an antibiotic with antiviral properties AND has heart and lung monitoring. And, of course, I hope she can come back very soon and lose very little time in retrieving her skating. I'm happy Angels of Plushenko have recruited a doctor and I hope she can follow the case.

One could confirm or infirm it only by analysing which strain contaminated each of the recent positive skaters, but I am under the impression that that gala dinner after Rostelecom Cup (a gala dinner without precaution at such a moment!) may well have been a spread event (and it is not necessary to seek a "spreader" we know : it can be somebody from the staff, or the teams; indeed it is more likely because no skater was symptomatic, and asymptomatic people are very little contagious). If she got it then, and knowing that the later the symptoms appear, the shorter they last in general (from a survey), she may test negative rather fast, maybe she already did. But I was already furious after RusFed, I am even more so now that contagion happened. They seem to forget they have the care of minors. And I too am somehow dubious at Anna Shcherbakova's pneumonia : should she test positive, we should know it, but was she tested at all? I hope she's really recovered now, and nobody else was ill!

 

[Philippa8187]

Anyone else concerned with so many sick recently with coronavirus or pneumonia lady skaters and pairs skaters for Russia are going to the Russian Nationals in a couple weeks in an atea where it could be 50 degrees below zero? My question to the medical people here is it safe going to this super cold place coming off pneumonia or Coronavirus? I really would wish they would back up Russian Nationals two or three weeks so more people can fully recover.

I’d like to see the Russian Nationals pushed back to February, and the Worlds pushed back to April or May. I know the Europeans haven’t been cancelled yet, however they’re on shaky ground.

 

[Scott512]

I’d like to see the Russian Nationals pushed back to February, and the Worlds pushed back to April or May. I know the Europeans haven’t been cancelled yet, however they’re on shaky ground.

I'll take your idea and run with it. It's time for figure skating changes on the fly.

 

[Philippa8187]

I’ll take your idea and run with it. It's time for figure skating changes on the fly.

Well the Head of the FFKKR has been reported as stating there won’t be any changes to the timing of the Nationals, so there goes my wish. I hope the link below works:

Глава ФФККР рассказал, как будет формироваться состав участников ЧР

Состав на чемпионат России в Челябинске будет формироваться с учетом неучастия ряда фигуристов в этапах Кубка России, сказал РИА Новости президент Федерации... РИА Новости Спорт, 07.12.2020

rsport.ria.ru

 

[McBibus]

Well the Head of the FFKKR has been reported as stating there won’t be any changes to the timing of the Nationals, so there goes my wish. I hope the link below works:

Глава ФФККР рассказал, как будет формироваться состав участников ЧР

Состав на чемпионат России в Челябинске будет формироваться с учетом неучастия ряда фигуристов в этапах Кубка России, сказал РИА Новости президент Федерации... РИА Новости Спорт, 07.12.2020

rsport.ria.ru

well with thir organization they clearly stated that COVID19 is a myth, so nothing new

 

[McBibus]

Just a reminder that, in the sun or under the rain, she is the
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIhxDZDK2lP/

 

[Scott512]

Well the Head of the FFKKR has been reported as stating there won’t be any changes to the timing of the Nationals, so there goes my wish. I hope the link below works:

Глава ФФККР рассказал, как будет формироваться состав участников ЧР

Состав на чемпионат России в Челябинске будет формироваться с учетом неучастия ряда фигуристов в этапах Кубка России, сказал РИА Новости президент Федерации... РИА Новости Спорт, 07.12.2020

rsport.ria.ru

What can you say? the Russian Federation and figure skating organizations are in the dark ages. They are reactive and not proactive.

 

[macy]

What can you say? the Russian Federation and figure skating organizations are in the dark ages. They are reactive and not proactive.

well, i hope that Aliona and everyone else affected by sickness or missing training time for any reason stays realistic going into this competition and doesn't hold themselves to high expectations. just go out there and do the best you can, that's the only thing they can really control.

 

[McBibus]

well, i hope that Aliona and everyone else affected by sickness or missing training time for any reason stays realistic going into this competition and doesn't hold themselves to high expectations. just go out there and do the best you can, that's the only thing they can really control.

I care for her to be well.
I don't (I suppose we all don't) mind about results now.
I could never take any competition seriously this year honestly, I always watched for the pure pleasure of seeing skating.
But skating his her life and brings her joy, so I hope she can be back soon stronger than ever.

 

[Scott512]

It's really nuts they did not backup Russian nationals for a couple of weeks. Please athletes many of whom have been sick with covitt or pneumonia after fly many hours to Siberia words going to be 50ﾟ below 0 probably and that's a health risk in itself being out in that kind of cold.

I can only wish Alina well and to skate well and to stay well. But going to nationals will be a risk for the health of the skaters

 

[Minz]

UPDATE: Europeans has been canceled as of a few days ago. So yeah, they could back up Russian Nationals a few weeks because the next major international competition is Worlds in March that may or may not happen. But yeah, with Tuktamysheva, Kosternaia, Aliev and Medvedeva testing positive and Shcherbakova having pneumonia (we think) I don’t see why not. These are all contenders for the world team (and title) and if they can’t go to Russian Nationals, they probably won’t be able to make the world team unless some exceptions are made, but these I guess athletes need something to strive for, but I don’t think that this should be it

 

[bouncy]

Just saw Aliona's on the National's entry list.
So here's my rant: I'm just mad at the fed still trying to host it and sell tickets to the public. It's risking the wellbeing of the best of their skaters. Clearly skaters' health is not their priority. GPF and Euros are cancelled, and (I suppose) so will be Worlds. If they don't have the pressure to secure the 3 spots then what's the point of gathering skaters in a virus fest, considering a permanent lung damage caused by covid may well destroy a skater's career
I hope Aliona and her team take good care of themselves if they decide to go. Fingers crossed.

 

[McBibus]

I saw pics of Aliona taking photos with Sasha and fans before the rostelecom gala judging from the dresses.
Both the girls and the fans without mask.

No Aliona: this is not how you take care of yourself during the pandemic.
Your attitude with fans is adorable and it's one of the thousands things that makes you so special, but you should be careful.
Please

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

I saw pics of Aliona taking photos with Sasha and fans before the rostelecom gala judging from the dresses.
Both the girls and the fans without mask.

No Aliona: this is not how you take care of yourself during the pandemic.
Your attitude with fans is adorable and it's one of the thousands things that makes you so special, but you should be careful.
Please

One more to RusFed, who allowed unmasked fans to address athletes, and maybe contacts via a smartphone (to take the photos) which is a hard surface that may be contaminated. What could she do? Be ungracious to her fans? It would not be her!
I wish they were better protected at Nationals but can I really hope it, in light of RusFed declaration stating it was not their fault and the skaters were contaminated elsewhere and they had done everything properly? Proof there is that they had not (gala dinner without measures + uncontrolled access to skaters), but they will deny and go on as before unless somebody they really fear tell them they've done enough wrong and must amend. At least Alena Kostornaia is likely to be immunised for some time but I am afraid for other skaters. And now there is a vaccine, RusFed is more likely than not to stop any measures, pretending to believe a vaccine is a 100% protection. It has already been seen with other vaccines or protection, that overconfidence on the protection led to imprudent behaviour and to a surge in cases... I'm not really optimistic I know. Sorry.

 

[McBibus]

What could she do? Be ungracious to her fans? It would not be her!

You're so right!
When I met her at the hotel I just said "hello!" and she stood up from her breakfast table and come to me to take a pic I did not even asked for.
She did the same to anyone else who approached after.
She was eating alone with her mother so she had any right to keep her privacy and politely refuse fans interaction.
She would never refuse a fan.

I remember reading in a interview that when she was little and she met her idols she was shy and little scared to go and talk to them so she respects people talking to her and she tries be as nice as possible.
When people call her a "diva" implying a bad attitude I go mad!

 

[patee]

She's back on track...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CI01Haop7Ro/